contains gifted items There are so many things in our (finally!) finished garden that bring me joy. There’s the terraced area where we light the fire pit and toast marshmallows, the outdoor kitchen where OH reigns supreme on our fancy new BBQ. The oven where we make the tastiest, cheesy-drippiest wood-fired pizzas, and the outdoor sofa where I love to stretch out and read a book. But there’s one thing I love more than ALL the others, a place that literally makes me sigh exhale with happiness; the hanging egg chair. This was a bit of an impulse purchase, as I hadn’t initially planned to buy o ..read more

ad post One of my most precious belongings is my Nana’s diamond engagement ring, given to me – the eldest granddaughter – after she passed away. My mother entrusted it to me just after I turned 18. I wasn’t the most practical young adult at the time, so I know she did so with a touch of reluctance – not so much because of the monetary value (although it was my first piece of ‘real’ jewellery), but because of the huge sentimental value attached. This wasn’t a ring bought fro a store, it was a one-of-a-kind piece designed by my granddad, specifically for my Nana. He’d called in a favour with a ..read more

featured post I might be a little bit late to the podcast party, but I’m making up for lost time now. I became obsessed with these audio recordings a few months ago; I was completely redecorating the 13-year-old’s bedroom and needed something to distract me from the monotony of painting. Usually I’d put something light and frothy on Netflix, but I found myself constantly stopping to watch what was happening on the screen. I realised I needed something to entertain me without taking my attention away from the job at hand. It dawned on my that a podcast was the perfect solution. More dynamic t ..read more

review ‘The extreme always seems to make an impression,’ mused Jason Dean (J.D to his friends) in the teen cult classic Heathers. He proves his own point in the movie where the plot, frankly, is ludicrous – but in the funniest, most delightfully outrageous way: three Queen Bee bitches, all called Heather (the Heathers), reign supreme at a midwest high school. The fourth of the girl gang, Veronica, is the soul of the group, enjoying the perks of popularity, while wishing everyone could just be a little nicer. She falls in love with the brooding new boy, JD, and together they accidentally (kin ..read more

featured post It’s a brand new year, which usually means one thing – time to overanalyse our lives and vow to fix our weak spots, before losing momentum and falling back into old habits. Sound familiar? There is one area, however, where a little effort can bring huge rewards. It’s not the sexiest of subjects, which is why many of us find it so easy to ignore, but if you can give your finances some simple New-Year tweaks, you’ll save money instantly and feel the benefits for the entire year ahead. SAVE MONEY INSTANTLY 1: IF YOU DON’T USE IT, LOSE IT: It might seem obvious, but it’s surprising ..read more

Not so long ago my favourite physical activity was avoiding it altogether; then nature well and truly caught up with me. Looking back, the decline began a couple of years ago, as I approached my mid-forties. I’d find myself puffing when I walked up stairs, wincing at my stiff joints on the way back down. I shrugged it off as the unavoidable aches and pains of getting older, until the ailments veered in a more worrying direction. I began to suffer from anxiety; first a low thrum of unease, then a constant edginess I couldn’t ignore. I’d always been an upbeat person, who (while not sporty) enj ..read more

It’s that time of year, when the summer rays fade and the skies darken with increasing haste. So many people dread the end of the warmer months, but I embrace the darkness, and welcome the cooler evenings and longer nights. Summer is a time of busyness – socialising, spending time outdoors, working on garden projects – but, for me, winter is a time when I can unapologetically slow down. How to Enjoy the Dark Winter Days: I’m a classic introvert and can find the social aspect of everyday life quite draining. I like always having a purpose, but when the life gets too hectic it makes me feel tr ..read more

I’ve always been a crazy plant lady, way before it was fashionable. When I was a kid I dreamed of having a house so filled with greenery it was like living inside a Victorian glasshouse. My plans came to a screeching halt when I met OH, as he didn’t like houseplants. Like, at all. For years I lived in a plant-barren home, but after we completed our renovations I staged a rebellion. We had a snazzy display unit in our new kitchen-diner, and I realised it needed to be brought to life. I started by sneaking a houseplant in, then another, then another… as the shelves got leafier I realised I was ..read more

ad feature Adulting. It’s not always fun. There are bills to pay and taxes to file and forms to fill out and appointments to keep. Then you have kids, and the workload quintuples… per child! I’ll be honest, I shove a lot of that kind of ‘stuff’ in cupboards and put off pesky emails to the last possible moment. But there are some important life admin tasks that shouldn’t be ignored – in fact, they could make your life quite a bit cheaper and easier. IMPORTANT LIFE ADMIN TASKS THAT WILL IMPROVE YOUR LIFE: • STREAMLINE YOUR BILLS It’s easy just to leave bills to roll over, but it only takes a f ..read more

I always knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. While most five year olds dreamed of being astronauts and running hotels for kittens, I’d confidently announce: ‘I’m going to be a reporter!’ After finishing school I became one of the youngest students to be accepted on New Zealand’s most esteemed journalism training course. I cut my teeth on community papers before moving over to my greatest love – magazine features. Over the next 20 years I was lucky enough to work on some incredible features desks and have my stories published in some of the world’s most famous glossies, including Cosmopo ..read more